Bulfinch’s Mythology

One of the leading popularizers of classical learning in the nineteenth century, Thomas Bulfinch made the myths and legends of the ancient and medieval world available to American audiences through his three decisive works, The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, and Legends of Charlemagne, collectively published and widely known as Bulfinch’s Mythology. 
 
A banking clerk by day, Bulfinch spent his nights skillfully weaving often disparate versions of classical and medieval mythology into a coherent whole. The thoroughness with which he combed through his sources made his mythological books standard reference guides for many years, while the vigor of his storytelling enthralled generations of readers. Written to “teach mythology not as a study but as a relaxation from study,” these timeless volumes span the ages: The Age Of Fable describes the gods and goddesses of Greece and Rome, as well as the mythology of the Germanic tribes, England, and the Near East; The Age of Chivalry tells the story of King Arthur and his court, Lancelot and Guinevere, and the death of Arthur; and Legends of Charlemagne gives a thrilling account of the reign of the first great French emperor, his wars, and his conquests.
 
Charles Martin is a poet and translator. His verse translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses was published in 2003 by W. W. Norton and received the Harold Morton Landon Award from the Academy of American Poets for 2004. His most recent book of poems, Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems, published in 2002 by the Sewanee Writers’ Series/The Overlook Press, was a finalist for the Lenore Marshall Award of the Academy of American Poets.